Effect of protease inhibitors on pulmonary bioavailability of therapeutic proteins and peptides in the rat.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of protease inhibitors on the pulmonary absorption of therapeutic peptides and proteins with varying molecular weights. Dry powder formulations of leuprolide (1.2 kD), salmon calcitonin (3.4 kD), human insulin (5.8 kD), human leptin (16.0 kD), and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) (36.5 kD) were prepared with or without protease inhibitors; aprotinin and bestatin. The formulations were administered intrapulmonary to anesthetized rats. The pharmacokinetics of these proteins were assessed by measuring serum drug concentrations. In addition, in vitro stability of these proteins in rat lung homogenate was assessed using the trifluoroacetic acid method. Bioavailability of leuprolide following pulmonary administration was 75% higher compared to subcutaneously administered leuprolide. Protease inhibitors had little or no effect on the pulmonary bioavailability of leuprolide. However, protease inhibitors (1 mg/kg) increased the bioavailability of calcitonin by more than 50%. Similarly, the bioavailabilities of leptin and HCG in the presence of bestatin were increased by 1.9 and 2.1-fold, respectively. Leuprolide was stable both in the lung cytosol and subcellular pellets with about 10% degradation at the end of the study period (4h). In contrast, calcitonin, insulin, leptin and HCG were significantly degraded in the lung cytosol and subcellular pellets. Presence of protease inhibitors in formulation could improve the stability of protein drugs. The results of this study demonstrate that the pulmonary absorption of proteins may be enhanced by the selection of optimal concentration and type of protease inhibitor.

Pulmonary sustained release of insulin from microparticles composed of polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer assembly.

The present study tests the hypothesis that layer-by-layer (LbL) nanoassembly of thin polyelectrolyte films on insulin particles provides sustained release of the drug after pulmonary delivery. LbL insulin microparticles were formulated using cationic and anionic polyelectrolytes. The microparticles were characterized for particle size, particle morphology, zeta potential and in vitro release. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drug were assessed by measuring serum insulin and glucose levels after intrapulmonary administration in rats. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and evans blue (EB) extravasation studies were performed to investigate the cellular or biochemical changes in the lungs caused by formulation administration. The mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of the insulin microparticles was 2.7 µm. Confocal image of the formulation particles confirmed the polyelectrolyte deposition around the insulin particles. Zeta potential measurements showed that there was charge reversal after each layering. Pulmonary administered LbL insulin formulation resulted in sustained serum insulin levels and concomitant decrease in serum glucose levels. The BAL and EB extravasation studies showed that the LbL insulin formulation did not elicit significant increase in marker enzymes activities compared to control group. These results demonstrate that the sustained release of insulin could be achieved using LbL nanoassembly around the insulin particles.